NIGER Republic has declared that the decision of the three Sahel countries-Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso- to leave the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is sovereign.
Its leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, who ousted the democratically elected government in July last year, said that none of the three countries who on January 28, this year announced their withdrawal from ECOWAS “with immediate effect,” would rejoin the regional bloc.
The countries made the decision in a joint communique signed by their representatives and subsequently followed by separate official notifications on January 29 to the ECOWAS on their decision.
Speaking in an interview with RTN news, Tchiani vowed that the three countries would not rejoin ECOWAS.
When asked about the consequences of their withdrawal on security, trade and socio-economic activities, he said: “Now, the world is a global village and is the world within ECOWAS? So, God will feed every human He created.
“We would never release Bazoum. Setting Bazoum free is akin to stabbing ourselves in the stomach, which would do harm to Nigeriens.”
